disturbing or disabling, or culturally so deviant that others judge it as maladaptive,
inappropriate, or unjustifiable. Atypical or deviant means that, statistically, the behavior is
rare and has a very low probability of occurring. Legally, insanityis an inability to determine
right from wrong. This may result in commitment because insane individuals are frequently
a threat to themselves or to the community.
Psychiatrist Thomas Szasz sees classification of mental illness as reason to justify political
repression, an extreme position that causes us to examine assumptions about what’s normal
and what isn’t. David Rosenhan of Stanford University demonstrated that ideas of normality
and abnormality are not as clear and accurate as people think. He and colleagues faked the
single symptom of hearing voices to gain admission to mental hospitals in five states. They
abandoned the symptom once admitted. They found hospitalization to be dehumanizing.
Admitted with the diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, they were discharged with the
diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia in remission(under control).Causes of Abnormal Behavior
What causes abnormal behavior? Each perspective of psychology assigns different reasons.
The psychoanalytic perspective believes abnormal behavior results from internal conflict in
the unconscious stemming from early childhood traumas. The behavioral approach says
abnormal behavior consists of maladaptive responses learned through reinforcement of the
wrong kinds of behavior. Humanists believe abnormal behavior results from conditions of
worth society places upon the individual, which cause a poor self-concept. Since behavior
is influenced by how we perceive the world, the cognitive approach sees abnormal behavior
as coming from irrational and illogical perceptions and belief systems. Evolutionary
psychologists consider mental disorders as harmful evolutionary dysfunctions that occur
when evolved psychological mechanisms do not perform their naturally selected functions
effectively. Finally, the biological approach explains abnormal behavior as the result
of neurochemical and/or hormonal imbalances, genetic predispositions, structural damage
to brain parts, or faulty processing of information by the brain.The Medical Model
Abnormal behavior is often talked about as mental illness. The medical model looks at
abnormal behavior as a disease, using terms such as psychopathology,which is the study of
the origin, development, and manifestations of mental or behavioral disorders; etiology,
which is the apparent cause and development of an illness; and prognosis,which forecasts
the probable course of an illness. The American Psychiatric Association used a medical
model for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual(DSM-IV) that classifies psychological
disorders by their symptoms. This guidebook for mental health professionals lists diagnostic
criteria for 17 major categories of mental disorders, subdivided into about 400 disorders.
DSM-IV enables mental health professionals to communicate information about individuals
who suffer from abnormalities, and helps them decide how to treat an individual. DSM-IV
is the 1994 revision (DSM-IV-TR, 2000) of DSM-III-R published in 1987. Early versions
(DSM-I and II) were unreliable and invalid, but beginning with DSM-III, diagnostic
categories have been clearly listed, assumptions about suspected causes of disorders have
been eliminated, numbers of disorders have been increased, and diagnoses are given on five
axes (dimensions). Axis I: Clinical Syndromescontains all of the major disorders including
anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, substance abuse, and organic mental disorders. Axis II:
Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation contains disorders such as obsessive-
compulsive and mild retardation that could be overlooked when focus is on Axis I.216 ❯ STEP 4. Review the Knowledge You Need to Score High